Am I the ayy hole for exposing my best friend’s actions during her bachelorette party?

My best friend cheated on her fiancé during her bachelorette party. But when I told her that she needed to admit what she did, she threatened to expose my past to my new boyfriend.

It was my best friend Laura’s bachelorette party. I was so happy for her since she was getting married to her high school sweetheart, Anthony, who was my brother.

I was her maid of honor. But during the bachelorette party, she hired male dancers, and that was something I could not forgive.

She slept with every single dancer that she hired. When I confronted her about it, she told me that if I told Anthony that she would tell my boyfriend about me being an adult entertainer in my past.

I felt conflicted because this was my brother and my best friend. On one hand, I felt guilty telling Anthony because I knew it would break his heart.

On the other hand, I couldn’t let my best friend get away with this. It didn’t feel right.

When we got back from the holiday trip away, Anthony asked us how the trip went. I looked over at Laura.

She had not an ounce of guilt on her face. Laura smiled and said it was very relaxing.

She talked about all the fun she had and said that she really needed that time. Anthony told her he was glad that she enjoyed herself and seemed eager to hear all about the trip.

The next week, Laura and I talked about the wedding decorations and seating arrangements. Laura asked me a question, but I didn’t hear a word she said.

The flash of men going to her room replayed in my mind. The guilt was eating me alive.

She broke me out of my trance suddenly.

“Emily, are you even listening to me?” she asked.

I said yes and apologized. We chose the colors for the wedding decorations and left the shop.

I decided to tell Anthony about the nights on the trip, but I had no proof. These were heavy accusations without any evidence, but I couldn’t let my brother sit there and marry such a manipulative person.

The next day, I invited Laura out to brunch at this new restaurant near my house. I put my phone on the edge of the table facing Laura and had a regular girl’s chat like we always have.

We hadn’t spoken one-on-one on the nights of the trip since the night she threatened to tell Todd about my past. We talked about the wedding plans, and she told me how excited she was about everything.

Then I brought up the trip and asked her if she wanted to go somewhere like that for her and Anthony’s honeymoon. She said she would love that since it was such a beautiful resort and the food was amazing.

I told her that one of the other bridesmaids got the number of a guy she met at the resort. She said that was juicy and told me to spill the tea about it.

I said I didn’t know much except they planned on having a date soon and joked that she might be getting proposed to at Laura’s wedding. Laura laughed and said she wished she could have taken one of the guys’ phone numbers from the resort.

I asked her which one.

“I’d take the second guy, he was so good in bed.” she told me in a low voice.

I acted like I was picking up my drink and pushed my phone closer to her. I asked if he was the best out of all of them.

“By a long shot,” she said.

We laughed and drank. Soon the waiter brought us the bill, and I ended my voice recording on my phone.

We hugged and went our separate ways. The second I got to my car, I called my brother.

I told him that I needed to talk to him ASAP and asked to meet up with him without telling Laura. He asked me if everything was okay and what was going on.

I told him that I would explain as soon as I saw him. I told him to meet me at my house and hung up the phone.

I raced home and waited for Anthony. When he knocked on the door, I answered it quickly and asked if Laura knew he was over there.

He said no and that she thinks he went to visit our parents. I led him to the couch and pulled out my phone.

I told him I wanted him to hear something and played the audio. His face dropped.

He asked me how long I’d known and I said since that night. We sat there in a long silence.

And he said she told me she had a lot of fun and how she really needed that night. She talked about how all the guys on the resort were hitting on her and she flashed the ring I bought her every time.

I couldn’t believe she lied to me. I told him I was sorry he had to find out that way, but he just had to know the actual person he was marrying.

He asked why I waited so long to tell him. I told him that she threatened to tell Todd that I used to be an adult entertainer.

Anthony said that it shouldn’t matter since it happened before you were together. But Todd was a conservative man and I wanted to be 100 percent transparent with him at the right time.

Also, I wanted him to hear it from me. Anthony told me he was sorry that I got caught in the crossfires of their relationship.

But he was my brother and I cared more about his well-being than keeping a friendship with a liar. I then told him that if he were going to break up with Laura, he would have to do it for another reason.

I didn’t want Laura to know I told him or recorded our conversation because she could still tell Todd about my past. It was two weeks before the wedding, and I got a call from Laura.

She was crying and screaming on the phone. I could barely understand what she was saying other than her repeating:

“He left me, he left me.” I asked her what she was talking about and she said Anthony called off the wedding.

I asked her why and she said that they weren’t compatible because he found some evidence of her cheating on her phone. I could hear her sniffing up the tears.

I asked for more information and she said that was all he had said. She asked me if there was another girl, and I told her I knew nothing about another girl.

I said he was head over heels for Laura and I don’t know what could have happened. Her voice sounded so hurt; for a moment, I felt bad for her.

I knew I would have to be there for her at this time. A few months went by, and Laura stayed at my house constantly, rotting on my couch and crying to herself.

I tried to cheer her up with her favorite candies and watch movies with her. But you don’t realize how many movies are centered around couples until you have to avoid them.

I was there for her through all the heartache and listened to her vent. She asked me if I could talk to Anthony to get him to take her back.

I told her that she had broken his heart and that I didn’t think there was a way to come back from that. She cried day in and day out.

After a while, she started crying less. She asked me how Todd and I were such a good couple and how he felt knowing about my past.

I told her he still didn’t know yet and wanted to tell him on my own terms. She said she didn’t want what happened to her to happen to me and that I should tell him soon.

I said it was my relationship and I would handle it my way. After third-wheeling our relationship for months, Laura moved back into her own apartment.

She still visited a couple of times a week. She seemed happier when I saw her each time, and I could see that having some space was really helping her.